"Luv" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

for her tenth studio album ''

Discipline Discipline refers to rule following behavior, to regulate, order, control and authority. It may also refer to punishment. Discipline is used to create habits, routines, and automatic mechanisms such as blind obedience. It may be inflicted on ot ...

'' (2008). Written by

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...

, Dernst "D'Mile" Emile, Tasleema Yasin, and

LaShawn Daniels LaShawn Ameen Daniels (December 28, 1977 – September 3, 2019) was an American songwriter, vocal producer and arranger known for his songwriting credits on songs by artists such as Brandy, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Michael Jacks ...

, the song's production was handled by Darkchild and D'Mile. Described as a "feel-good" clap-and-bounce track, "Luv" is an electro- R&B song, with Jackson relating a car crash to

falling in love Falling in love is the development of strong feelings of attachment and love, usually towards another person. The term is metaphorical, emphasizing that the process, like the physical act of falling, is sudden, uncontrollable and leaves the ...

. "Luv" was released to

urban contemporary radio Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...

on February 11, 2008 by

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as the third single from ''Discipline''. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who agreed that it resembles her early hits and highlighted it as one of the album's best tracks. "Luv" had limited chart success, managing to reach number 34 on the US

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

Music and lyrics

"Luv" was written and produced by

and Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, with Tasleema Yasin and

serving as the co-writers of the track, while Jackson and Ian Cross served as the vocal producers. "Luv" was described as "a brisk, feel-good clap-and-bounce" song, by Andy Kellman of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, with Princess P. of ''MWZA'' describing the lyrics as "an extended automotive metaphor" (red lights/headlights imagery, and the line: "He hit me with his love"), with the chorus constantly repeating "Luv, luv, luv, luv". "Luv" is an R&B- hip-hop-flavored song, where Jackson relates a car crash to

, singing: "He ran a red light/ And hit me with his luv, luv, luv". Princess P. saw that "vocally, it's hyper like the chorus of

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...

's '

With You With You may refer to: Music * With You., an American house music group Albums * With You (826aska album), ''With You'' (826aska album) or the title song, 2023 * With You (Stacy Lattisaw album), ''With You'' (Stacy Lattisaw album) or the title s ...

,' but musically, it sounds like a Southern-fried sequel to

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

's ' Good Life'." Glenn Gamboa of ''

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'' wrote the song "grooves along like it could have come from

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...

's album, aside from a few trade Jackson harmonies."

Critical reception

Andy Kellman of

picked out the song as one of "the highlights of the album", writing that it is "as innocent, universal, and inviting as anything else in Janet's past." Dan Gennoe of

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agreed, calling it a "

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

-ish synth sunshine", praising it for being "as clean, crisp and adorable as anything on her ' Design Of A Decade' hits collection." In the same vein,

Michael Arceneaux Michael Arceneaux (born April 12, 1984) is an American writer. He is the author of the 2018 essay collection '' I Can't Date Jesus'', a ''New York Times'' bestselling book. His second book is titled ''I Don't Want to Die Poor'' (2020). Early l ...

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

called it "groovy and catchy follow-up to '

Feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause-and-effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handled ...

' that reminds listeners of the early stages of the pop star’s career when she sang about her affections innocently." Joan Anderman of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' called it "another standout, a plump, crackling confection." Chad Grischow of ''

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'' commented about her "touched-up vocals" on the track, writing that "actually work in her favor on infectious synth-driven 'Luv', where the computerized blurping vocals in the bouncy hook balance perfectly against her natural voice in the verses." Ann Powers of ''

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'' wrote a mixed review, writing that the song "grabs the essence of previous hits by

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

, T-Pain and

, without so much as a patent application. The overheated production makes it stand out, but it's heartless."

Commercial performance

Much like its predecessor "

Rock with U "Rock With U" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her tenth studio album, ''Discipline'' (2008). It was written by Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, and Eric Stamile, and produced by the last two. The song was released as the album's second si ...

", "Luv" was a commercial failure. Failing to enter the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it peaked at number two on its extension chart

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

. The song peaked at number 34 on the

chart in mid-March 2008, becoming Jackson's 43rd top-40 single on the chart.

Live performances

Jackson first performed "Luv" on ''America United: In Support of Our Troops'', which aired on September 7, 2008 on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, in a medley with "

Rhythm Nation "Rhythm Nation" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, ''Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). It was written and produced by Jackson, in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and T ...

" (1989). During Jackson's

Rock Witchu Tour Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson, in support of her tenth studio album '' Discipline'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total blacklist of the singer's music, due to ...

the same year, "Luv" was performed during the encore, along with " Runaway" (1995). An interlude of the song was used during her Unbreakable World Tour (2015–2016).

Charts

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Luv (Song) 2008 singles Janet Jackson songs Song recordings produced by Rodney Jerkins Songs written by Rodney Jerkins 2008 songs Songs written by LaShawn Daniels Island Records singles Songs written by D'Mile